What to Do When Your Child Wants a Dog

A lot of people and children in particular are influenced by what they see or hear about dogs in the media and then decide that they want to have a dog of their own. In particular watching a film with a dog as a key character can be very compelling!

Unfortunately watching a film you don't really get a sense of what the needs of the dog are and how much time, cost and energy it takes to properly look after one. A great deal of commitment is needed to understand and fulfil the responsibilities of dog ownership.

On the upside, of course a dog can be a wonderful companion for a child and owning a dog can teach them important lessons like responsibility, self-control, caring, compassion and loyalty.

Generally dogs are very loving pets and provide the family with a joint sense of purpose: for example, everyone can have a share in fulfilling the needs of your dog, taking turns to feed it, train it and you can go out for a walk together to exercise the dog as well as taking pleasure in finding different places to visit or new things you can do together with the dog.

For adults having a dog can also help counter the stress of a high-powered job enhance our self-esteem, and alleviate life stresses - so long as the dog is well-trained and balanced.

If you are faced with a child who wants a puppy of their own, apart from reminding them that puppies quickly grow into adults that may not be quite so cute, they need to know that puppies don't arrive understanding how to behave in our home environment; they need training and socialisation which means almost constant attention in the early months. Even once they have had initial training, it is unfair (and potentially unsafe) for dogs to be left on their own for very long otherwise accidents and 'unacceptable' behaviour can be the result.

It is never fair to bring a dog into a home where they would be regularly left on their own for long periods each day while everyone is out at school or work.

Add to this the fact that some people who get a dog find that once the initial excitement has worn off, the dog's routine can become a tedious duty and the other responsibilities and costs are too much to tolerate! Many dogs end up being abandoned and need re-homing, which is not at all fair on the animals.

Sadly too, it can be the case that children all too often promise to help look after a dog and then get distracted with the next fashion fad, leaving their parents to do much or all of the work! So parents need to be sure it is what they want to commit to too.

As a first step, perhaps you might suggest that they experiment with a technology pet like a Nintendog (or a Furby or Tamagotchi) first, so that they can learn more about what is really involved in looking after a living pet?

These technology pets simulate what it is like to look after a pet; children can feed, talk to, pet, groom, train, walk and play games with their virtual dog and so gain an understanding of the demands of owning a real pet.

Then if it seems that your child still really wants to have a pet, it may be better to look at all options so that you consider pets that suit your home and lifestyle...

We are passionate about preventing vicious dog attacks!

We want people to have safer, more relaxed, happier and more balanced relationships with dogs - wherever they come in contact.

Read More

Best Puppy Training Tips

Adults who want to have the best trained dog in the whole wide world will need to follow the best puppy training tips that I am going to share with you in this article. Just like raising a child, all you need to possess in order to train your puppy is time, love and caring, a lot of patience, and provide a great deal of dedication on your part. Right now, I am going to share with you 5 training tips on how to train your puppy successfully.

1. As human beings, we get confused very easily when too many people talk to us at the same time. The same can be said about training your puppy. If there are too many masters trying to train a puppy at the same time, the pup's progress will stop. Find someone who will train the puppy, one on one, so that the pup can learn the new commands from one individual.

2. When you are using positive reinforcement to train your dog for good behavior, remember that you have to use constant repetition so that your pup will know that what they are doing is good. Never get after your dog for negative behavior; applying negative reinforcement will be detrimental to your pup's training process.

3. When we learn a new language, we have to start at the very basics; learn one step at a time. With dogs and puppies, you have to teach one command at a time. Once they have mastered that command, then you can teach your dog or pup another one.

4. Always have a cheerful voice when you are training your dog or pup. For you parents, think of how your children will respond if you are trying to tell them something in a loud or angry voice. They will become frightened; the same can be said for a pup. If you are trying to train in a loud voice, all the pup will do is shrink and hide.

5. Let your dog explore. This is a very valuable training tip that I can give you. Take your dog or pup on a walk, let them explore new things. This is also a great time to do some additional training for your dog or pup. During the summer, after work, I would go on my evening runs, my dog, who is an Australian Shepard would run along side me, sometimes, she would wander off, all I would have to do is call her name and pat the side of my hip and she come running right beside me. The training process was a pain in the neck, but over time and having lots of patience, she finally obeyed.

The training process will be long and sometimes it can lead to frustration, but if you follow the best puppy training tips that I have provided in this article, in the end, it will be worth it. You will have the best dog in the whole neighborhood and you will someday say to yourself, "truly, a dog is a man's or woman's best friend!"

Read More

Boxer Information You May Not Have Known

There are so many things about Boxers that make them one of the best types of dogs around. If you are interested in finding out what makes them so great, you are in the right place! This piece will give you the ins and outs of Boxers.

Boxers are descendants of two breeds of dogs, the Bulldog and the German Bullenbeisser (ancestors of Mastiffs). The breed began in the late 1800's when a German man, Georg Alt, bred a Bullenbeisser with an unknown breed.

When it comes to size, Boxers are definitely on the higher end of the spectrum. They can be anywhere from one foot, nine inches to two feet, one inch tall around the shoulders. Their weight depends on their height, but they usually weigh in between 60 to 70 pounds. Unfortunately, they tend not to live as long as other dogs do; they have a lifespan average of 10 to 12 years.

Boxers are commonly called "hearing guard dogs". Basically, this means that they are very alert and watchful. Contrary to what most people believe, they are usually not aggressive dogs, unless their human family or home is being threatened. When trained at an early age, Boxers can be the most friendly, playful dogs around!

In general, Boxers are usually healthy dogs. However, this does not mean they cannot be a victim of certain health issues. Some common health problems associated with Boxers include cancer, Hip Dysplasia, Hypothyroidism, allergies, and deafness. If you are looking to purchase a Boxer, be sure to get one through a trustworthy breeder; this can greatly decrease the chances of your puppy having health issues!

Boxers meant to be mainly indoor dogs. They are not well-suited to spending much time outdoors, as their short coats and short noses prevent them from doing so. However, most Boxers do enjoy some time running around in a fenced-in yard or park.

There are two main colors of a boxer's coat; they are fawn or brindle. Some may also have white markings on their coats, while others do not. The Boxer is missing the gene to have black fur, so there is no such thing as a black boxer. Grooming is not necessary for most boxers, as they have short fur. In fact, most boxers clean themselves. However, they do tend to shed, so brushing them once or twice a week is not such a bad idea.

Boxers tend to lead a more difficult life when they overweight. Again, because they are not as active as other dogs, what they eat does not always get burned off so easily. Therefore, it is important you monitor how much they eat. Also, be sure to feed them food that is high in nutrients.

Now you know all about Boxers. These dogs differ from many other kinds of dogs, mostly in good ways. So, if you are looking for a loyal dog who will always protect you, look no further than a Boxer!

Read More

Here Are 5 Interesting Facts About Dogs

You may think you know everything about dogs, but we bet there are 5 interesting facts about dogs that you may not know. Do you want to find out what those facts are? If so, continue to read the rest of this article.

1. Dogs can understand many words and gestures - You probably already know that dogs can understand so many different words and gestures. What you may not know is just how many they are able to understand. So how many gestures and words can they understand? They have the ability to understand more than 200, which is a lot.

2. Many dogs live in America - America may not be the biggest country in the world, in terms of landmass, but they are home to the most dogs. That may not surprise you, but what might is that France comes second. That's right, France is home to more dogs than many larger countries.

3. Dogs' ears are very muscular - When you look at a dog's ear, you might not be able to tell, but they are very muscular. Not necessarily in size, but in terms of the amount of muscle. What we are trying to say is that dogs ears contain double the muscle than humans' ears.

4. Greyhounds run very fast - Greyhound dogs can run very fast, and that is why there is Greyhound racing. This is really not a secret, but do you know just how fast they can run? Try up to 45mph, which is almost as fast as some speed limits set on many roadways. Dogs run fast in general, but Greyhounds are the quickest dogs in the world, so if you ever get a Greyhound for a pet, make sure you have plenty of land because they love to run.

5. Dogs aren't colorblind - Many people assume that dogs are colorblind, and they believe that all dogs see in black and white. However, the fact is that dogs are not actually colorblind. Dogs can detect color, but it is just not as vivid as humans' vision.

There are many other interesting facts out there that you might not know about dogs. However, the five that were discussed above are some of the facts that people rarely know about dogs. The five facts talked about in the article might help you have a better understanding of dogs, or some of the facts may have even answered some questions you didn't have the answers to.

Read More

All You Need To Know About The Manchester Terrier

The Manchester Terrier is a smooth-haired terrier breed that is very intelligent, cunning and is high-spirited. This terrier breed is loved by many because of its inquisitive nature and is very eager to learn. It displays the true nature of terrier breeds; terriers are lively, independent, faithful, alert and sporty. Manchester terriers make terrific watchdogs and are very loyal to their owners.

There are two different varieties of this breed. These are the Standard and Toy breeds. However, in their native land, England, these two varieties are considered to be two completely different breeds; the Manchester terrier and the English Toy Terrier.

However, when it comes to actually selecting a pure breed dog, there are several factors that will play a crucial role in the decision making process. For instance, their ears will be determinant in identifying your breed. Toys have erect ears and never crop. Standard ones however enjoy a bit more freedom as their ears can naturally be erect, "button" or cropped.

Nonetheless, despite the differences in ears and size, the standard terrier and toy terrier are pretty basically one and the same dog. They both have the same striking character. As earlier mentioned, they are an extremely loyal dog and are devoted to its owner. This dog breed craves to be noticed while at the same time it is not overly demanding. As such, you shouldn't expect to see any signs of begging or pawing for attention from this dog.

Completely devoted to companionship, the Manchester terrier does not do well when left alone for extended periods of time. They tend to get nervous and bored in such situations and will usually end up adopting destructive behaviors and loud, excessive barking. To avoid this, exercising your dog often will usually work.

Manchester terriers can live for well over 14 years. If not well exercised and overfed, this dog breed will tend to become obese. As such, it is important that you exercise your dog often. They are a sporty, agile and obedient breed and love being taken out for walks. However, it important to have them on a leash because when their hunting instinct kicks in, they tend to forget their training and will give chase.

It is important to note that this breed can be stubborn and a bit difficult to housebreak. As such, crate training the recommended option when it comes to potty training. When looking for a good, healthy and manageable pure breed Manchester terrier, it is important that you buy one from a reputable breeder with a great history of raising Manchester terriers and tests his or her breeding dogs to ensure that they have no hereditary diseases that could be passed on to their young.

Read More

How To Choose A Puppy For The Family Pet

Choosing a new puppy to be the family pet can be somewhat of an overwhelming task. You need to take into consideration your lifestyle as well as environment and choose an animal that will fit well. The first consideration is whether the family wants a large active puppy or a small cute one.

A purebred puppy or a mixed breed puppy will be the first decision you need to make. Each breed of dog has its own personalities and comes with some common predictable traits. Consider what your intended purpose for the pet will be. Companion dogs love a warm lap and are drawn to comfort. Dog breeds that are protection dogs tend to be serious, to not like a chaotic or unpredictable life. Retrieving and hunting dogs tend to be high energy and need to fulfill a sense of purpose.

Choosing a mixed breed puppy also has its advantages because they offer the same love, devotion, and loyalty as other puppies. Some may argue that this type of puppy is healthier because of their combined gene pool. Whatever breed you decide, it is important that they will be able to easily adapt to your lifestyle and environment to avoid serious issues down the road.

If you can, you want to observe the litter to see how the puppies interact with each other. This allows you to see the type of personality that they have. By observing the litter you can also see the type of energy level that the puppy has as well.

Make sure that the puppy has clear bright eyes that have no discharge, and that the nose is damp, cold and clean. A puppy that does not have this may have some health issues. See how the puppy reacts when you first walk in the room.

A puppy that will come up to you right away means they have a good personality for meeting new people. The puppy that ignores you and is more interested in its surroundings will tend to be a lot more independent. They should not show any signs of being fearful or very shy. That is the puppy you do not want for a family pet.

Taking into account all these considerations before making your purchase will allow you to choose the best puppy possible as your new family pet. Remember puppies have their own personality and energy levels. Choose the one that fits in your lifestyle and environment the best, and all of you will have a happy relationship for years to come.

Read More

The Papillon Is A Great And Interesting Breed

The Papillon is one of the oldest forms of lap or toy dogs. The old adage that great things come in small packages is no more evident than when referring to the Papillon dog breed. Named after the unique shape of their upright ears, the word papillon is the French word for butterfly. These dogs make adorable and affectionate companions.

The rich history of the Papillon, formerly known as the dwarf or toy spaniel, is quite robust. Many famous works of art from as far back as 1500 feature the Papillon, including being heavily prominent in the famous family portrait of France's Louis The XIV. Indeed the history of the Papillon is one intertwined with high art and royalty. This pedigree, along with small litter sizes, has translated into them commanding high prices from breeders.

Being an extremely intelligent dog, the Papillon is well suited to learning tricks and becoming quite obedient to their owners. With their sharp wits they will respond well to orders and accept many different rewards for learning a trick or following commands, some content with just a pleasant compliment in a happy tone of voice.

One thing to keep in mind is their high level of energy. Papillons need to be taken for regular walks and have a lot of time to play. This makes them ideal for families with young energetic children or for older couples needing a motivator to keep on their feet. A papillon will happily jog with its owner for a good distance, but with their small stature wouldn't exactly be the type of dog to run miles and miles.

Papillons are commonly seen in dog shows and feature in many Kennel Clubs. Their elegant, distinctive looks always turn heads. The most attractive look for a Papillon is being two-toned and having a blaze, or line of white between the eyes and to the snout. This feature gives the dog more of that butterfly look they are named after.

Papillons make wonderful companions and lovely show dogs. With a rich history that include kings and queens, leaders of men and the European merchant class, you know your holding a new companion that's a living piece of history. They are perfect for both families and singletons alike. Though the breed can go for huge sums of money it's a worthy investment in a new friend for your family.

Read More

Why It Is So Easy to Love a Dog

When we see a baby most grown people will turn into morons goo gooing and making impossibly ugly faces over the nearly terrified child. We move in close to the child's face, take impossible liberties touching and caressing the face, hands and feet of the child and then declare how tiny everything about them is.

They are adorable. We are seized by human survival when we see them.

When we see a baby we are reduced to idiots by nature. The baby's movements of hands, feet and face cause a very powerful hormone to be released in our bodies: oxytocin.

Oxytocin is the hormone that recruits our cooperation with the infants of our species. What triggers the release of oxytocin that causes us to want to touch, accept and defend a baby?

The movements of the baby. Those jerky, subtle movements of arms, legs and face that combine to reduce a grown adult to babbling fool. And Oxytocin works every time.

Nature has provided this to protect the totally vulnerable young. Even if someone meant to harm a baby, oxytocin makes it very difficult to think of such things by flooding our bodies with this recruitment to cooperation hormone. Even thinking of harming a baby seems hard to contemplate: oxytocin in your blood right now.

Dogs, once untamed hunters in the wild, found that sort of life a bit on the shaky side. But they did notice that in cooperation with humans, food would always be more available. Not to mention the care of their young and the scratching where no one had ever scratched before. But the humans were afraid of the wild dogs.

So the dogs of eons past learned from the humans. They noticed that if the humans found a litter of their offspring, the movements of the baby wild dogs caused the humans to not only not fear them but pick them up and take care of them.

At some faraway, nearly forgotten council of the wild dogs, the chief dog must have ordered an investigation into this matter of human acceptance of the little, wiggling and randomly licking infants.

The report came back to the chief. To gain human acceptance and love, the dogs would have to adopt the behaviors of the puppies and never forget to turn on those behaviors if the humans showed any signs of turning off the cooperation button.

The psychological report, not recently found in ancient dogglyphs, recommended that wild dogs, now tired of the hunting and getting trapped lifestyle, should learn to turn on the charm with humans in exchange for their cooperation.

Here are the ten actions the dogs have learned that make us love them (complete with notations and directions from the dog council):

1. Always wiggle with abandon when the human arrives into the human places.

This wiggling, like the wiggle of a baby, triggers the release of oxytocin. We cannot help it. When we return home and our dog wiggles and randomly squiggles in unrepentant joy, we want to return the love. We feel guilty if we don't.

2. If the human looks annoyed for any reason, begin rolling with abandon and making yipping noises.

This is another oxytocin trigger that works like a charm. Garbage dug into again? Go wiggle on the floor and roll around or...

3. Look hurt with saggy eyes and do not resist punishment.

This submissive behavior releases tons of oxytocin causing your human to regret ever punishing you. They will move the garbage can before they will punish you again.

4. Bring toys to them and step back and seem eager.

Humans cannot resist the oxytocin "cuteness" of a child handing them a toy and then eagerly expecting to play with it. Impossible. Even if the human doesn't want to play just then, they will apologize and you can try again later. The real strategy here is not to play - the strategy is to make the human feel sad they are not going to play. This will cause them to feel they owe you and give you treats later.

5. Run off and then come back

Humans fear desertion. Any chance you get, run away outside and then run back to the human like you have been scouting ahead for danger. This behavior releases so much oxytocin that the human nearly bursts from joy knowing you love them. You are not just "there" because you have to be. You are there because you love them!

Of course, you know you are there for food, warmth and an easy life, but the humans must never suspect this.

6. Make your human look good in front of other humans

Obey instantly. Sit. Stay. Perform whatever silly trick they think they have taught you. How you act in front of the human friends will cause not only your human to feel delighted but will encourag the other humans to give a dog an easy life if they have the hopes of getting one like you. You serve the dog community when you are so "good" when company comes over.

Never make the mistake of treating other humans with the same love, devotion and oxytocin releasing behaviors with which you lavish your human. This will win you no ponts. Your human wants to reserve the secret love relationship when no one is looking. When people are looking, be a champ of obedience!

7. Be friendly to all human children but standoffish to all human adults

This rule will win you points with all humans. Love the children and forget you could eat them with one swallow. Lick them, sniff them and play with them. Let them ride you and pull your ears until you yelp. When you yelp it is the human child who will pay the price while you get extra attention.

Your yelp will release oxytocin in all the adults and the child who pulled your ear so use it with gusto! Yelp!

With adults, keep your distance. Act like you are studying them. Do not run to them or be anxious to be petted by them unless you are in the dog jail and you need a human to escape. If that is true, then forget this rule and turn on the oxytocin charm.

8. Always try to help when humans have emotions

Don't get lazy and lose your ability to sense emotions in humans. When they are sad, try to nuzzle them like you would a sad or sick real dog baby. Roll on them and try to comfort them. Act like you "know" they need you but you don't know what to say. Just let them know you know.

Your efforts are the same as a human child saying, "Mommy, did you get an owie?" The oxytocin flows like magic and you come out the winner.

9. Act sad when the human leaves

Unless you make the mistake of getting attached to your human, you will never be sad when they leave. You may want to go fast in those noisy boxes they roll around in, but the freedom of being the lone wolf in the house is in our nature. Nevertheless, act sad. Only cats are dumb enough to act disinterested. That is why we hate cats.

Stop at the door and droop your eyes and back as if you are begging to go. The human will try to explain to you why you cannot go. Look like you don't understand. Usually the human will feel like they are deserting you and a treat will arrive with them when you roll around with glee when they return.

Enjoy your day of freedom.

10. Use your hearing to be the potential hero

Humans cannot hear. They are all deaf compared to us. Use this advantage. They will not hear the clumping of the stranger going down the street outside the den, but we do. Bark like mad and run to the door as if you were protecting the pack. Really let it rip.

The human will peek out and see (if they really can see) the stranger and know that you are the true guardian of the house. This gives them a sense of safety and security that will hasten your forever place in the human space and all the free food and water and warmth a dog could want.

--These reasons and much more are why we love dogs. We cannot help but love dogs. They have figured out that to be our best friends they had to use our hormones against us, but, then again, it seems to have worked out for everybody.

Never let the humans know you really like "visiting dogs." Any dog with class will know you will have to give the humans a fright by doing the "will they fight" dance. It is entertainment to them. First things first. Otherwise, both sets of humans will feel you are far too fickle.

Read More